Leave Donations

The program provides for the voluntary donation of annual leave accruals between our department's employees and family members in other departments (family member is defined as any relative or relative-in-law, regardless of place of residence, or any person with whom the employee makes his or her home) regardless of geographic location. For example, a Management/Confidential employee of the Tax Department working in Albany may donate credits to or receive credits from a CSEA-represented employee of the Tax Department working in the Suffolk District Office.

The Leave Donation Program applies to the donation of annual leave only.

Rules

The identity of donors must be kept confidential.

Donations may be solicited by any of the following:

the ill employee; co-workers on behalf of the ill employee (co-workers is defined as employees working at the same level or below the affected employee);    

local union representatives

The department and its management may not solicit donations. For this program, management is defined as any employee at any position above the level of the ill employee. This restriction is placed on management to avoid any perception of coercion which employees might feel if higher level employees solicited contributions from them.

Eligibility

To receive donated credits, a recipient employee:

may be an employee of the department or a family member in another department (see above for definition of family member)

must be subject to the Attendance Rules

must be absent due to a non-occupational, personal illness or disability

must have provided satisfactory documentation to the Personnel Bureau by completing Form HRM-80

must not have had any disciplinary action or unsatisfactory performance evaluation within the last three years of state employment

must have exhausted all leave credits and be expected to be absent for at least two biweekly payroll periods following exhaustion of leave credits and sick leave at half pay

In certain cases of intermittent absence in connection with catastrophic illness, the department may waive the two biweekly payroll period continuous absence requirement.

There is no maximum number of days which a recipient employee may receive; however, donated credits cannot be used to extend employment beyond the point it would otherwise end. There is no maximum number of donors from whom an eligible employee may accept donations.

To donate annual leave credits, a donor employee:

may be an employee of the department or a family member in another department (see above for definition of family member).

must have a minimum annual leave balance of at least ten days after making the donation. The ten-day minimum is pro-rated for employees who work less than full time.

may not donate leave which would otherwise have been forfeited. (Example, a CSEA represented or PEF represented employee with a balance of 45 days who, as of the day of donation, has three remaining work days prior to April 1 cannot donate more than three days until after April 1; or an M/C designated employee with a balance of 45 days who, as of the day of donation, has three remaining work days prior to January 1 cannot donate more than three days until after January 1.)

Donations must be made in 7.5 hour units. There is no maximum number of days which can be donated. There is no maximum number of times an individual may make donations to any eligible recipient employee.

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